'Mens’conception
75% of depression reported cases are from men.
5/6 suicides committed are by men.
Tags/assumptions of carrying the family forward financially.
Let’s talk about something we seldom shed light on.
Generations have passed by, and yet men are suppressed under the limiting norms of society on the basis of which they define masculinity.
The term ‘man up’ wildly circulated and preached about holds the dictionary meaning ‘to act tough’. Isn’t that what the society expects men to be molded into? Being ‘tough’, thereby restraining them from being their true selves. They are detained from the liberties of emotion and expression. Their vulnerability is a joke which carries heavy labels of ‘unmanly’ and ‘weak’. The slogans “Men don’t cry!”, going about have exacerbated their mental health as a result of which, they’ve been held back from being vocal about the concerns they undergo.
In today’s age where we see a commendable outrage on issues pertaining to women’s safety and health, there is still light yet to be shed on the problems faced by men. The harassments men go through are yet to be highlighted. The abuses they encounter has not yet been brought to surface due to the fact that men still hesitate to open up about their experiences. It is shaken off as a laughable topic of discussion. Men facing harassment and rape is still an untouched region which one refrains from talking about cause otherwise they would be condemned and critiqued with jokes like ‘people would kill to be in your shoes’. Hence, such cases are seldom reported.
Currently, their comfort isn’t a questionable choice.
The evolution has gone haywire to a direction where men have to prove their innocence or else, they are proclaimed guilty. Incidents such as “boys locker room” taken place in the recent past acknowledges the same. Their reputation has become so fragile that it can be easily tarnished with certain false accusations and claims. There are still plenty clips circulating round the media which has uprooted the image and shamed many innocent men even with a prevailing lack of evidence. Claims of rape and acts of extortion and intimidation such as “I’ll cry rape” can destroy men’s image to damage beyond repair.
Men who have voiced out earlier have faced backlash on social media for promoting content on the same. People show loathe and hate on the comment section showering them with negativity for sharing their intrigues or following a certain direction. (For eg. Siddharth Batra)
Masculinity is a flawed definition, being expressive and emotional doesn’t make you weak or any less of a man. Men’s mental health isn’t a joke, it's something we should come together and spread light upon. Let's expand and remould the definition of masculinity. Let us be empathetic and show acceptance towards the well being of men. Let us encourage their freedom of thought and expression. Let us come together and support the cause of the same.
